The Blackhawks got back to work Monday after a 4-0 shutout loss to the Stars, and the week ahead gives them plenty of time to sort through what went wrong. Chicago doesn’t play again until Friday against Montreal, so this one is going to hang around for a while. Practice offered a few answers, though, including one encouraging sign on the injury front and a clearer look at how the forward group is starting to settle in.
Andrew Mangiapane was on the ice before practice on the other sheet, which marked a step forward after the lower body injury he suffered in the season-opening 5-2 loss to Vegas on Sept. 29.
He played just nine shifts in that game and totaled 5:23 of ice time. Jeff Blashill didn’t offer a firm timeline, but he did note progress.
“He's obviously not in position to play, but we have multiple days this week, so I have no idea where he'll be as the week goes on. I just know that today was a day that he took a step in terms of getting on the ice.”
Bowen Byram was not at practice and remains day-to-day with an upper body injury. He’s missed the last two games. With no game until Friday, there’s still time for a return this week, but Blashill had no update Monday.
The Blackhawks’ practice itself was a long one, running more than an hour and mixing in retrieval and exit-zone work, line rushes and battle drills on half the ice. The important detail for now: the lines and pairings stayed exactly the same as they were against Dallas.
Roman Kantserov - Connor Bedard - Patrick Kane
Tyler Bertuzzi - Anton Frondell - Teuvo Teravainen
Oliver Moore - Frank Nazar - Ryan Donato
Cole Smith - Ryan Greene - Jordan Greenway
Alex Vlasic - Ian Cole
Wyatt Kaiser - Artyom Levshunov
Ethan Del Mastro - Sam Rinzel
There’s at least some evidence the Blackhawks are finding a rhythm up front. With Frank Nazar back after serving a two-game suspension against Winnipeg on Oct.
15, Chicago has been able to use him as the third center between Oliver Moore and Ryan Donato. That trio scored two goals in the Stars game, and the underlying numbers have been encouraging.
The top two lines have also shown success since Bedard returned against Pittsburgh on Oct. 13, while the fourth line has remained a steady shutdown unit since the preseason.
The defense is a different story, and Byram’s absence doesn’t help. Ethan Del Mastro has filled in, skating first with Artyom Levshunov and then shifting to Sam Rinzel.
After practice, Blashill said the blue line still has plenty to clean up, especially with the puck moving out of the defensive zone. “In our D-zone breakouts, you need a lot of work.
That's just those areas where, when you're playing D-zone and all of a sudden you get a loose puck, how do you handle that? You get it out.
How do you get it out? And that's where I think the maturity process of knowing when you have the puck, when you have time, when you don't have time, do you need to punt it?
Can you go take-the-tape?”
After practice, Bedard also talked about his line with Kane and Kantserov. On his chemistry with Kane, he said, “I think we both think the game kind of similar.
We like to try to make plays and be creative and stuff. And obviously, we only played a few games together, and we can get better.
But yeah, I thought it's been good. We've gotten our looks, but I think we definitely can can be even better for sure ...
He's obviously pretty easy to play with. He's unbelievable, so it's fun for me.”
Bedard also had praise for Kantserov. “He just thinks the game so well; so skilled.
He's so good at like getting in spots for us. Like I guess power play is a good example of him just always being in a good spot where no one is, kind of quiet ice.
So that's a lot of fun for me and Kaner because we like to hold on to the puck, we like to to make plays, and it seems like he's always open for us.
That line didn’t score against Dallas, but it still spent a fair amount of time creating chances, finishing with seven scoring chances for and eight against, plus three shots for and two against. The bigger point is that the trio has only had three games together, which leaves plenty of room to grow.
Chicago will practice again Tuesday and Thursday, take Wednesday off, and then go through its usual morning skate Friday before facing the Canadiens at 7 p.m. at the United Center.
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